Bid For Freedom

Chapter 27

Caleb watched the stars for hours. Dani curled up in her blanket and fell asleep quickly. At least he was pretty sure she was asleep.

She had almost seemed like a dream when he had walked into the hotel dining area. Her brown dress accented both her eyes and her short red hair, making it appear auburn. He'd missed having her around for several reasons. Now that he knew she was safe and back with him, things would calm down.

Sam would settle down again. Caleb shuddered. The big man had been almost hysterical when they'd left Dani behind. They'd finally been able to calm him but that lasted until they had picked up the cattle. The few days of working with the cattle on the ranch before they headed out had been laughable at best.

It'd taken almost a week for the judge to make his decision and another day for the sentence to be carried out. Caleb'd had to stay for the entire thing. He ran a hand over his face as if trying to wipe away the memories.

They were all exhausted, the cattle, the horses and the men. Especially Caleb. He'd wished he'd taken Stuart's advice and stayed in the hotel tonight.

Dani whimpered in her sleep.

Caleb reached over and ran a finger down her cheek. "It's all right, honey. No one's gonna hurt you."

She turned toward him, burying her face against his side.

Caleb felt a sense of peace and warmth wash over him. He drew the blankets tighter over Dani and sighed, hoping for a miracle.

The sun was barely spreading it's faint light over the horizon when Caleb loaded the last pack horse. Dani stirred beneath her blankets.

Caleb tightened the cinch then went to kneel next to her. "Hey. Time to get up."

Dani stretched before opening her eyes. "Yes, sir."

Caleb snorted. "Let's get going."

Dani struggled out of her bedding then stepped into her boots.

Caleb straightened the bedroll before rolling it up and tying it behind Dani's saddle. He glanced over his shoulder at the beautiful woman. His heart was a mess. This woman had a strange calming influence as well as creating overwhelming conflicts within himself.

She plopped her hat on her head and turned to face him, expectation written across her features.

"Hop on up, we'll eat as we ride."

She nodded and moved to mount her horse.

Caleb swung up onto his own horse and set a mile-eating pace. Dani rode in silence, giving him hours to think about way too many things. Marriage, the cattle drive, his cousin, his father, the ranch, what the future held. Thoughts tumbled over and over almost as quickly as the drumming of the horses' hooves.

The sun retreated toward the horizon just as Caleb caught a glimpse of the dust cloud making it's way through the sagebrush. A grin spread across his face and the miniature shapes came into view.

"Do we keep going and catch up with them after dark or stop for the night and get there in the morning?"

Dani stood in her stirrups, squinting to see the dark line obscured by the dust the animals stirred up. "I say, ride."

Caleb nodded. "Me too. But we'll hafta be careful when we ride into camp. Don't wanna get shot by mistake."

Dani's eyes widened. "Would they do that?"

A crooked grin crossed his face. "Yeah. They would."

Her jaw dropped.

"I won't let that happen, Dani. We all have a series of signals set up. They've probably already spotted us anyway."